Capital Stock (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased	2,000,000	1,713,423	1,713,423	2,000,000
Stock options exercised, net 157,058 shares, 38,900 shares and 20,000 shares in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively	$ 400	$ 710	$ 2,319
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	20,000	38,900	199,032
Common Stock
Shares outstanding at the beginning of the period	112,198,693	112,063,938	111,931,267	111,611,102
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held	31,519,768	31,479,310	31,454,097	31,097,043
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding	80,678,925	80,584,628	80,477,170	80,514,059
Vested Restricted Stock Units (in shares)	25,215	45,898	121,133
Stock issued during period, stock appreciation rights	2,713
Other Stock Grants (in shares)	86,827	47,873
Shares outstanding at the end of the period	112,198,693	112,063,938	111,931,267	111,611,102
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held	31,519,768	31,479,310	31,454,097	31,097,043
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding	80,678,925	80,584,628	80,477,170	80,514,059
Treasury shares purchased			0
Reconciliation of the average shares of common stock used to compute basic earnings per common share to the shares used to compute diluted earnings per common share
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Harsco Corporation common stockholders (in dollars)	$ (226,449)	$ (253,693)	$ (9,447)
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding	80,755,000	80,632,000	80,736,000
Dilutive effect of stock-based compensation (in shares)	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per common share, attributable to Harsco Corporation common stockholders:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (2.80)	$ (3.15)	$ (0.12)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (2.80)	$ (3.15)	$ (0.12)
Treasury Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	0	0	41,974
Common Stock
Vested Restricted Stock Units (in shares)	9,358	14,677	28,503
Stock issued during period, stock appreciation rights	521
Other Stock Grants (in shares)	30,579	10,536
Treasury shares purchased	0	0	286,577
Outstanding Shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	20,000	38,900	157,058
Common Stock
Vested Restricted Stock Units (in shares)	15,857	31,221	92,630
Stock issued during period, stock appreciation rights	2,192
Other Stock Grants (in shares)	56,248	37,337
Treasury shares purchased			286,577